ABSTRACT Likkutei Sichos

ABSTRACT לקוטי שיחות

• (א) Command to Avrohom indicates different levels of the soul in this world
  • “Go forth from your land” – descent downwards into the physical body
  • “to a land that I will show you” – the ascent in this world to grasp the Divine
  • “from your land” – the desires of the Divine soul
  • “from your birthplace” – the wisdom of the Divine soul
  • “from the house of your father” – the contemplation of holiness
• (ו) G-d told Avrohom that his true joy would come from Yitzchak
• (י) Yitzchak had a miraculous birth and super-rational covenant with G-d; education must include Mesiras Nefesh and cannot be diluted
• (טו) Avrohom opened the channel of Mesiras Nefesh for all Jews including converts, to observe Torah and Mitzvos with full vigor

Selected Parsha Points

• לך לך יב ,א א: HaShem told Avrohom to go out from all his boundaries, even of holiness. The service of going out of boundaries begins with Kabolas Ol & leads to Mesiras Nefesh.
• לך לך יב ,א ב הוספות: (א) The Avos observed the Mitzvos in deed, but the holiness did not permeate the physical articles; yet, their Mitzvos makes it possible for us to observe Mitzvos within the material realm. (ד) One mitzvah (Milah) needed to be done in a way to permeate the physical connection; thus, Avrohom waited to do this mitzvah until he was commanded. This mitzvah draws down spirituality into the physical world (a onetime act that affects the physical flesh) and lasts a lifetime (remains circumcised). (ה) Further, the mitzvah of circumcision has 3 aspects: the action of the removal of the foreskin; one is circumcised; and, one is no longer uncircumcised. (ו) In Divine service, being circumcised refers to “doing good” עשה טוב; no longer uncircumcised refers to “turning away from bad” סור מרע. (ט) Through circumcision the soul’s connection to the body is internalized.
• ג: The name of the Parsha implies a constant spiritual climbing; even descents (like going to Egypt) are for the sake of the subsequent ascent. One should not despair at the current situation; the current concealment is only external, & is a part of the future ascent.
• לך לך יב, א הא: The concept of ma'aser (first give away a tenth and only afterwards use the rest) is that everything a Jew earns and possesses belongs to G-d; Avrohom gave a tenth from items received from a miracle (but not due to his efforts); it was specifically Yitzchak's manner of service of taking a tenth from man-produced crops that one takes something currently on a low level, while retaining its lowly properties, and elevating it to a higher level.
• ויתן לו מעשר מכל יד ,כ הב: Prayer has an advantage over a blessing in that it can draw down something new; blessing has an advantage over prayer in that a prayer is only a request, but a blessing is a promise to reveal the source. Bircas Cohanim contains both advantages. Disagreement ר"י ור"ע regarding how the Cohanim receive their blessing.